Steering gear for motor vehicles



Sept. 7 1926.

G. L. MCCAIN STEERING GEAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed OCT.. 2

Patented sept. y7, 192e. Y l 1,599,381 UNIT-Eo STATES PATENT 'OI=I=1f'c:15;j.`-d

l i GEORGE I.. MQCAIN, OE DETROIT, iviion'icmixr.Y 'l

STEERING GEAR Eon MOTOR. VEHICLES. manga-tion med october 2, ieee. semi No. 414,351. This invention v relates to motor vehicles and more particularly, to steering. mecha nism therefor.

l The inventionV has among@ its Objects-to provide a' steerlng'connectionf so constructed the steering shaft 14, Vthe, shaftbeingslightly recessed to receivethis collar. sleeve 21 yis brazed orfotherwise secured tothe up-` per end of the casing and 'eXtendsout- 60 Wardly enclosingtheouter Yballrace 19. A y.

and arranged .that the parts Ysubject 'to `Wear are. separate' from the :parts not subject to Wear, and further, to .connect the'operative parts'in-such amanner that they may be readily assembled. and taken. apart'.

Another object of vthe invention. is to pro-v videin steeringAA mechanism of .the characterl described. .means for adjusting the operative and' motion transmitting.' elements to take up Wear. Y

Another-object ofthe invention is topi-O- vide steering mechanism that maybe easily operated. Y

Further Obj ects of` the invent-ion will a p pear V'from the. fol-lowing specification takenin connection Withtheldrawings which form' a. part-of'ths application, and in' Which:

Eig. 1 isa longitudinal sectional View of a. steering column. and f connections .embodying my 'invention Fig. 2 isza transverse sectionalview taken.

" substantially online.i2ff2fof. Fig. 1.31

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalv viewltalienv Online. 3'-+3 of Fig.'y 1.; v Y.

Fig'. 4L' :is van :enlarged .detail lviewvl takenonl linexifl. of Figi 1'; and Y llig.V isaafdetailf sectionalr vievvftaken-on line 57u51 o'Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, l'haveillus-v trated steering mechanism contiprisingk ai steering.V column :or tubular casing; 10 having detachably secured :thereto at'lits lovver endl a= casing 11,. the casings :10. and,V 1.1 housing. the steer1ng--mechanismandfmotort controll mechanism. As. illustrated,fthe .casing '11'is split fatits upper-endend is prov ided.withr a pair'of outwardly extending ears or lugsV formedfon-.theftvvo ends ofthe split por-V tion, these lugs-beingsapertured to receive clamping.y bolts lby means of Which .the casing-11Lis secured tO-"thetcasing 10;

A steering post or shaftll is journaled bearings carriedA bythe casing. 1() in fafmanring 22l is threaded into engagement With the tree end of the sleeve 21, andthe inembers 21 and 22'.v are .also locked. together'. byr1 ineansfo a screw 23 carried'bythe1ring22 Q5 andengagingthe-free endoflthefsleeve 21. lelt packing's'24iand 25 prevent'theieseape;` of. lubricant yfrom the ball bearing-andiy are retained in place by resilient` Washers `26.2

The lower paeking25 seats'on atwashjer2?, 70

which, invr turn, engages an annular ilange. 28r formedorr the-inner surfacev o-the sleeve-21.`

From the above description. itfv Will: be seen thatthe. ball 'bearing 17 retains the steering post onshaft llinvplace andialso acilitatesthe rotation ofgth'e .steeringv Wheel,` providing an easllyzoperab'le steeringmecha nisgn.`

The steeringfmechanisnr'aboutito-be def Y i scribedu-tihzesavvorm and'sectororl com 80 municating the.' rot-ationl of .the vsteering Wheel to the leve;1I `arm,fvvh1ch,l in'turn'l is;

Vconnected-to AtheKVehGleS.` Wheels,v andlin .-most of .thel steering mechanism -iothfifstypef now Y on .the marlietfthefwormfhias .been formed? ine-` 35 tegralfV VWitlr fthe: steering shaft: However, it will @be obvious thatV .much Lbett'erf gradeiofv steel-is :necessary 'for fthe: vv'orm thanfifor: the' steering postforr shaft; -'for i' this 'reaso'n i and." fOr-.f other reasons hereinafter Vset forthl "l0,

the .Worm and steeringpost have .beenmarle separate .from eachother; By making. fthem separateriti'sfalso possible. toreplace theA j Worm, should occasion require', and-'tol detach.; the l Worinl and sector and the f casingl enclos-- ing: thesei'fpartsf'from thev casing;v for th'ef steering. post and; .the parts; connected there@ f to-. Vt-'is also possibleftofadjustthe i-Wornrfin;

its: ,bearingsy without changing'. the;V posit n:

of the remainder of the steering inechanisin@ .lin Orden` toi Laccomplish theseV objects,'- the Wor1n29is provided 'with an. integral sleeve. y 30 mounted fin-'bushings y31. and 31. carriedV ,byqtheicasingnlh 'and l the.; upper end-"ofthel V sleeve'is splined,fas shown ati-32,130 the'y105,A lower end of the steering post'llQ and fisad# instable'longitudinally-thereon'. V'A lian-'ged sleeve .isis inserted in. the lower end ot=l"tl-ie.. casing.' 11y "between-i the casing. Aand fth'ef b'i'isl-.J ing'B-l, 'andi is .secured to theJ A.casing Y151 by 110 means of suitable seeuringbolts (not'shown) y which' alsonfsecurefthe capl; to ..the casing.l 11.1

.tation of this bushing, as it is longitudinally adjusted in a mannerv hereinafter set forth.

The end thrust of the worm 29 is taken up by a pair of ball thrust bearings 36 and 3E", the bearing 38 being interposed between vthe lower end of the worin 29 and the bushing 3l and sie ve At the upper end of the Worm, the thrust bcaring is interposed between the upper end of the worm 29 the adjustable bushing 3l.

In order to take up wear on the thrust bearings and to properly adjust these beary ings, l have provided means for moving the bushing 3l. longitudinally, itbeing understood thatthis movement also moves the worm 29 longitudinally. in order to accomplish this adjustment, a sleeve 38 is thread-v ed,V as shown at 39, into the interior of the upwardly extending portion of the casing ll and thissleeve is provided at its upper end with a plurality of radially extending notches 40, these Anotches having positioned between them teeth `41. The casing 11i-surrounding thenotched or toothedupper end of the sleeve 38 isprovided with a pair of transversely extending radial openings 42, and these openingsy are closed by a pair of plugs 43 and-'44, one of the plugs having a reduced A,inwardly extending portion adapted to enter one of the notches 40 in the sleeve 38. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the openings 42 in the casing ll are so positioned langularly with respect to each other l that a notch`40 in thesleeve 38 yvvillbe opposite one opening when a tooth 4l is op-V posite the other opening, and. therefore the plug 43 with the extension 45 kmay be always positioned to engage one of the notches 40 by inserting this plug in one or the other of .the openings 42. NV hen lthe operator desires to adjust the worm 29 and bearings v3G and 37 ,the plugs 43 and 44 are removed and the sleeve 38 is rotated by inserting a Suitable tool, such as a screw driver, in one of the openings 42. lV hen the sleeve has Vbeen properly adjusted, the plugf43 may be inserted in theproper opening 42 to engage the Vextension 45 with one of vthe notches 40 and lock the sleeve in adjusted position. -r

' InV order to communicate the rotation of the steering wheel and Wormto thewheels lof the motor vehicle, the'worm 29 is engaged by a sector 46 carried by a stud shaftn47 journaled in the bushing 48, which, in turn,

is mounted in Ya bearing 49 formed in aV laterally extending portion of theV casing ll. Means has been provided for adjusting the shaft 47 and secto'r'46 withrespect to the worm 29 in orderrto positiony the worm'and sector teeth in proper mesh with each other.v

In. order to accomplish this, the bushing 48 `iiat surfaces 5i, this end 50 being engaged by an adjusting member 52 having an opening conforming in shape toA the end 50 of the bushing. By rotating the member 52, the bushing may be rotated, thereby moving the shaft 47 and sector-46 toward and from the worm 29. One .end of the, member 52 has a plurality of openings 53 disposed concentrically withrespect to the center of the shaft 47 and the member 52 is retained in adjusted position by a bolt 54 carried by the casing ll, and adapted to pass through one of the openings 53.

The. end of the shaft 47, to which the sector 46 is secured, is retained against end! wise movement lb y means of a screw-threaded plug 55 carried by cover plate 56, which, in turn, is secured to the casing 1l and covers an opening through which the sector 46 and shaft 47 may be removed from the casing. A spring plate 57 Vengages a nut58 formed on thefree end of the plug 55 and prevents this plug from turning. The plate 57 is secured to the cover plate 56 by means of a bolt 59, this bolt also forming one of the means for securingthe plate to the casing ll. Lubricant is conducted to the shaft 47 and bushingV 48 through an inclined opening 60, which leads from the mainportion of the casing il to an annular groove 6l. in the bearing 49. Gpenings 62 in the bush ing conduct the lubricant to the inner surface of the bushing. Y

A lever arm 63 is secured, Vas shown at 64, to the end of the shaft 47 opposite the sector 46 and this arm is connected in any suitable manner to the front wheels of the'vehicle.

The steering column above described houses the usual nested, hollow or tubular shaftsby means of which the throttle and spark are controlled, and in .the particular yembodiment of the invention illustrated, a

Vlower enda worm l67. vThevvorm 67 is engaged by worm gear 68 carried by a shaft 69 mounted in a transversely extending sleeve or bushing 70, which is screw-threaded, as shown at 7l, to a portion of the cap 34 and' extends outwardly therefrom. A lever arm 72 is secured to they free end of the shaft 69 and isconnected by the usual links to the sparkcontrol mechanism.

A tubular shaft Y7 3 surrounds the shaft 65 and is engaged at its upper end `by a controlling handle orlever 74,'and has secured tol its lower enda yworin 75 whichmeshes with a worm gear 7 6 vcarried by shaft `77 mounted in a bushing 78, the bushing beingY throttle of the motor. The shaft above described also houses the electrical connections from a button 8O mounted on the `upper end of the steering column to a signalling device, such as a horn, carried by the Y motor vehicle.

The casing 11 has formed therein an opening 81 to permit the insertion of lubricant into the casing, this opening being closed by a plug 82, as shown in Fig. l;

From the above description it will be seen that my improved steering mechanism is so constructed and arranged that the parts subject to Wear may be formed of a better grade of steel than the parts not subject to Wear, and moreover, that lthe gearing for transmitting the rotary motion of the steering Wheel to the motor vehicle Wheels may be accurately and vproperly adjusted for most eilicient operation, and that these parts may be easily and' quickly detached from the remaining parts of the steering mechanism in order to replace the Wearing parts, should this be necessary or desirable. v

While "I have in the above specification described one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that modications and changes may be made in the construction and in the arrangement of the vvarious cooperating parts Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

Having described 'my invention, `vv'hatv I -l claimand desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s: A f f f l. Steeringk mechanism comprising, fin;

combination, a casing,`a Steering shaft carried thereby, asleeverotatably mounted in said casingY and having a Worm formed thereon, thrustr bearings for said Worm and sleeve, bushings for said sleeve engaging said thrust bearings and adjustable means carried by said casing for longitudinally adjusting said bushings and thrust bearings.

2. .Steering mechanism comprising, in combination, a casing, a steering shaft carried thereby, a sleeve longitudinally adjustable on said shaft, a` vvormfformed, on

said sleeve, andvmeans ,positionedv on the interior of said casing for longitudinally adjusting said'sleeveand Worm With respect to said shaft. i

k3. Steering mechanismk comprising, in combination, a casing, a steering shaft mounted therein, a Worm operatively connected to said shaft and longitudinally adjustable thereon,`a sleeve threaded into'the j interior of said casing for adjusting said Worm, said casing having openings therein to give access to said sleeve, and means adapted to be positioned inv said openings y and' engage said* sleeve'to locl; the sleeve in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof Iliaftixmy signature. j

,GEORGE L. MCoAiN. 

